Just peachy
by cutiesonthehorizon
Summary: Jamie is hurt during a pursuit and is too stubborn to admit it. Eddie doesn't appreciate it. Written for the Winter Whumperland.


A/N: Written for the Winter Whumperland exchange over on Tumblr. My recipient was thebluejayawe. Thank you for the great prompts, I hope you'll enjoy. Beta read by the wonderful Marie, The Wandering Whumper. All mistakes left behind are my own:D

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For such a large and bulky man, their perp was surprisingly fast. Both Jamie and Eddie realized that when they saw him turn into a side street and then up into a dark alley. He had a pretty decent headstart and their chance of catching up with him once he reached the other side of that alley leading towards warehouses was rather small.

"I'll go on foot, you try and cut him off in the car," Jamie said, already out of the car, and Eddie gritted her teeth.

"Be careful," she shouted after him, but Jamie was already out of earshot. Cursing, Eddie stepped on the gas and took a sharp left turn on the street above. She hated it when they separated during pursuit, yet her partner didn't seem to share the same concern.

Jamie entered the alley at full speed but he quickly slowed down. He looked around, but he couldn't see any movement. Which meant the perp had either vanished into thin air, or was hiding somewhere between the numerous trash cans. With a grimace, gun held at the ready, Jamie called out.

"NYPD! Step out with your hands in the air!"

There was no movement, not even a rustle. Well, it was worth a try. Jamie continued walking, wary of the corners and trash cans that could be used as a hiding place. What he didn't count on was that suddenly the cover of one of the smaller bins would come flying right at him. Years of instinct honed by living in a house with three older rowdy siblings taught him to duck anything and he managed to get out of the way of the flying cover, but it cost him dearly. His foot slipped on some trash and he staggered, losing balance. Next thing he knew, there was a pair of meaty hands fisted in his jacket, the gun lost on the dirty ground and he was being raised into the air. With an angry growl, the perp, who looked like a giant from this close, slammed him against the wall. Jamie felt his back hit the bricks, his head slamming against the unforgiving wall so hard his teeth rattled and he saw small stars as breath rushed out of him.

"That stuff is mine! It is mine!" The perp screamed into his face, spittle flying from his mouth and Jamie could see the pinprick pupils. Suddenly he was regretting his decision to split up with Eddie.

"The phone is MINE!"

"Y-yeah, okay," he said, trying to placate the man, even as he was once again slammed against the wall.

"Hey, I said... it's okay," he grunted and tried to raise his hand in a sign of 'I give up', but the guy didn't seem to catch that. He was sputtering about people in the shadows trying to steal his stuff and that he had enough, all the while pinning Jamie against the wall maybe a foot above the ground.

It wasn't a good position to be in and Jamie wracked his brain trying to figure out how to get out of it, but his moves were rather limited, not to mention the perp seemed to be hopped on something that gave him enough strength to kill a horse. Jamie didn't want to test that theory, so he just kept talking, trying to sound as unthreatening as possible. It was maybe a minute later when he noted movement behind the perp.

"Police! Let him go or I'll shoot!" Eddie shouted, but the guy didn't seem to hear her. He kept muttering, his hands wrapping tighter in Jamie's jacket and Jamie knew he was gonna be slammed against the damn wall once again. His body tensed in preparation for the crash, but then the perp froze, his eyes going wide as his body started shaking and in the next second he crumpled to the ground, bringing Jamie with him. With an oomph, Jamie landed right on top of the man, then rolled away as the perp's fingers went slack and he finally released the grip on Jamie's jacket.

"Reagan! You okay?" Eddie asked, even as she was rolling the perp over and cuffing him quickly. Which was a good thing to do, because the shock from the taser was wearing off fast and the guy started thrashing around. Jamie wasn't a fan of using the taser they received as new gear a few weeks ago, but this time it seemed to serve its purpose well.

"Yeah, just peachy," he grumbled, taking a second to catch his breath, then with a groan got to his feet and went to help his partner.

Eddie gave him a quick look, but Jamie waved it off. It took both of them to get the struggling man into the nearby parked car and lock the door. Once inside, he seemed to fall into some trance and became pliant like a baby. Jamie huffed.

"Of course," he grumbled and leaned against the car to take a moment to pull himself together, while Eddie was calling in the arrest. Jamie ran a hand over the back of his neck. His whole back felt like one big bruise and he could feel a small lump at the base of his skull, but there were no cuts and no blood. He didn't even have a headache... well, not worse than after a heated discussion at the diner table.

"Sure you okay, Jamie?" Eddie asked and Jamie straightened, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine. He just slammed me against the wall and held me there like a rag doll... no biggie."

Eddie rolled her eyes.

"You're such a lightweight, I bet he didn't even use both hands," she teased him and gave a pat on his shoulder. Jamie managed to look offended instead of wincing when the move seemed to send a shockwave straight up to his brain.

"Yeah well, next time you're running after them and _I'll_ sit in the comfy car, how's that?"

Eddie raised an eyebrow, leaning against the car door.

"Are you insinuating that I weigh more than you?" She asked and Jamie knew he was on dangerous ground. He ducked his head and climbed in behind the wheel.

"I would never dare," he said and closed the door, hiding his smirk. Eddie pursed her lips, a warning glint in her eyes as she walked around the car and sat down in the passenger seat.

"You better watch it, Reagan," she said and Jamie started the car.

oOo

Two hours later, they were out of the precinct and back on the road, four hours of shift still ahead of them. When they brought the perp in, calm as a cucumber, there was paperwork to be done so he could be processed. Jamie still managed to get a five minute shower and change of clothes, though he wished he could just have stayed under the hot spray. It helped his back, which was already starting to bruise up, if the glance in the mirror was anything to go by. Having to sit in a car behind the wheel, however, made his muscles stiffen up and after twenty minutes Jamie was trying hard not to squirm in his seat, biting his lip to hide the grimaces.

"Damn, Reagan, do you have ants in your pants or what?"

Apparently, he wasn't hiding his discomfort all that well, or maybe it was just one of the hazards of having an observant partner.

"S'okay, just my back getting a bit stiff," he admitted and Eddie narrowed her eyes.

"Maybe we should get you checked out after all. The guy seemed to pack a mean punch."

"First, he didn't _hit_ me, and second, _we_ shouldn't get anyone checked out. I'm fine, just... need to stretch my legs. And maybe get some coffee," he added when he felt a twinge in his neck run straight into his brain. Eddie eyed him from the passenger seat then nodded.

"Okay, why don't we stop at Denny's to grab something to drink and eat? I'm quite starved. It doesn't look like it, but doing paperwork takes a lot of energy."

"Right, paperwork," Jamie grinned, but was relieved that Eddie seemed to drop the issue. He was also really looking forward to that coffee.

They were on a busy four-lane road and Jamie was just planning to cross into the next lane, when the car before him seemed to grow a double, blocking his way. Jamie blinked, but the image didn't vanish, though the lane seemed to waver and blur.

"Shit," Jamie breathed out, instinctively slowing the car but not daring to stop, because there were cars behind them as well.

"What's wrong?" Eddie asked and he could hear the concern in her voice. "Jamie? What's wrong?"

Jamie felt the blood rush from his head and bit down on his lip, the momentary pain clearing his head just a bit. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he was trying to keep the car straight on the road, but they must've been veering off into the next lane, because Eddie grabbed the wheel and steered them back.

"What the hell?"

"I can't... something's wrong. Everything's blurry," Jamie said, panicked. "You need to take over."

"No shit," Eddie snapped. "We're in the middle of a four lane, Jamie. We can't just stop the car."

Jamie seemed to realize that. He shook his head and rubbed one hand across his eyes. Still a bit blurry, but at least there were no twin cars in front of him.

"Okay... I think... I think it's better. Just... need to pull over."

"Yeah... go slow. The right lane is free now and there's a shoulder coming up in a minute..."

Eddie kept her hand close to the wheel and ready to act if Jamie suddenly lost control, but they were lucky and made it to the shoulder without as much as a blaring horn. Being in the police car might've helped that. The moment he threw the car in park, Jamie leaned his head back on the seat and closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths.

"Okay, that was scary as hell," Eddie said, trying to calm her breathing as well, while trying to figure out what was wrong with her partner.

"Jamie? Talk to me. What's wrong?" She reached out, touching his neck, feeling his pulse. He didn't have a fever, but he was clammy to the touch and his heart seemed to be racing, just like hers. "Come on, partner. You're starting to scare me."

"I think I might've hit my head before," Jamie muttered with a grimace and opened his eyes, only to see Eddie watching him with concern mixed with anger.

"Oh, and you thought it was a good idea not tell me and sit behind the wheel? Are you trying to kill us?!"

Jamie winced at her raised voice, but acknowledged she was right.

"Sorry. Didn't... I didn't think anything was wrong," he said and looked so pitiful the anger left Eddie's eyes and there was only worry.

"You didn't lose consciousness? In the alley?"

"No, he just... slammed me against the wall... a few times. That's all."

Eddie growled, muttering something under her breath, but Jamie didn't have the energy to try and figure it out. The headache seemed to come back with vengeance and even Eddie seemed to gain a twin once or twice. Jamie actually had to close his eyes to stave off the nausea.

"So your vision's wonky? Anything else?"

"Mhm, headache, dizzy," Jamie muttered and felt one of Eddie's hands on his face, the other touching the back of his skull, looking for lumps and quickly finding one.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Eddie said with a sigh even as Jamie winced.

"Can you look at me? ...Please?" she added when he didn't seem listen. With a sigh, Jamie opened his eyes, squinting when the sunlight hit him just wrong. Eddie peered into his eyes until he started blinking.

"I'm pretty sure you managed to get a concussion," she said and let him go. Jamie rubbed at his eyes and cursed again.

"The Serg will kill me," he moaned, mostly because the man asked him outright if he needed to see a doctor or not and Jamie lied to his face.

"Nah, I think your dad or Danny will manage that first," Eddie tried to cheer him up and obviously failed. Jamie haven't even thought about his family getting wind of this.

"Okay, time to get you to the doctor. Scoot over, your driving privileges are revoked till further notice." Eddie stepped out of the car, letting Jamie scoot into the passenger seat while she went around the car.

"Are you gonna hurl?" Eddie asked once they were back on the road and heading to the hospital. Jamie wanted to glare at her, but he did feel a bit peaky, so he decided keeping his mouth shut was for the best.

"That bad, huh?" Eddie sighed and focused on driving. She cast worried looks at her partner, who had his eyes closed and looked decidedly greenish. Her foot itched to step on the gas. On the other hand she knew if she drove the way she wanted, they would definitely have to clean up the car afterwards. Thinking they would get enough flack as it was for this little stunt, she kept going within the limit, even slowing down at turns.

They finally reached the hospital and Jamie opened his eyes, at first relieved that the car stopped, but then groaning.

"Come on, there was no other place?" he asked pitifully when he saw they were at Linda's hospital. Eddie just rolled her eyes.

"Don't be a child. You think this won't get back to your father? We might as well use some preferential service," she said and stepped out of the car. Jamie wasn't in any haste to move though, so she opened his door and pulled at his arm.

"Come on, partner. Don't be a chicken."

"I hate you," Jamie grumbled, though there was no real feeling behind it.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll be singing my praises once you get off your feet."

Jamie still didn't want to get out.

"Come on. You owe me for that stunt on the road," Eddie said, her voice losing all the amusement. Jamie had the grace to look ashamed.

"Sorry," he mumbled and pushed himself to his feet, grateful for Eddie's supporting hand.

"Yeah, you can tell me how sorry you are when we explain this to Serg. You owe me big," she said, even as she put his arm around her shoulder and they headed into the emergency room.

Jamie wasn't sure what gave him more preferential treatment, the fact he was a cop in a uniform wavering in from the street, the fact he was the commissioner's son, or that the grapevine worked so fast, Linda knew almost immediately he was there. When she saw him, there was a look of panic in her eyes, which quickly turned into relief and confusion. There was no blood visible, no bruises.

"Hey Jamie," Linda said softly as she reached him, her eyes giving him a quick once over. "You know you don't have to get busted up if you want to chat with me, right?" she joked, touching his face and looking into his eyes.

"Yeah well… Eddie here thought you might have a slow day…. Said we should visit you," Jamie tried to joke, squinting as the hospital lightning made his headache worse.

"Ah well, if Eddie thought that… maybe we should have a talk. Come on, buster." Linda helped him stand up from the uncomfortable waiting room chair. Jamie wobbled a bit as the change in position made his dizziness return, but Eddie was right beside him, once again offering her shoulder as support. With Linda on his other side, he was led into a small exam room.

"Don't even think about falling asleep before the doctor comes in," Linda warned him, when Jamie sat down on the bed and eyed the pillow wistfully.

"What happened?" she asked and Jamie opened his mouth to answer, but Eddie, who was standing by the door with her arms crossed, spoke first.

"He got slammed into a wall by a giant... several times. Then he decided it was a great idea not to tell anyone he was hurt and get behind the wheel. We almost crashed."

Well, there was not much else Jamie could add to that. He noted Eddie still seemed a bit pissed at the last part and grimaced, realizing she wouldn't forget this anytime soon.

"Jamie!" Linda glared at him and Jamie winced, raising his arms in supplication. Having two angry women in the room when his head was already trying to kill him wasn't all that ideal.

"Okay, I messed up. Can you all just... stop shouting?"

Linda let out a huff, but didn't comment. Instead she helped Jamie take off his uniform. She walked to the other side of the bed to assess the damage to his back.

She gently touched one of the bruises and Jamie hissed.

"Really... you didn't think you were hurt?" Jamie could hear the reproach in her voice and cringed a bit. It was usually just Danny who got that tone when he said something stupid.

Eddie stepped closer and caught a glance at his back as well.

"Come on, Reagan!" She exclaimed, indignant, and Jamie decided that if he lost consciousness just then, he wouldn't mind at all. But he wasn't that lucky, so he just shot a pleading look towards Linda.

"You're on your own here, buddy," she smiled, long years of being Danny's wife obviously making her immune to it. Linda just tsked and kept checking the bruises on his back and the lump on his head.

"You're unbelievable," Eddie muttered. "Am I going to have to strip you down after every chase to check if you're okay?"

Linda paused, then coughed, trying to hide her chuckle. Jamie blinked and looked at Eddie, as if trying to figure out if she really said that.

"Well, if you're offering, I won't mind," he said finally, his lips twitching in a smile. Eddie blushed, muttered something about having to call the precinct and left the room. Linda snorted.

"Smooth, Jamie. Smooth."

Jamie sighed and his shoulders slumped down. Eddie was gone and he could stop trying to pretend he wasn't hurting like hell.

"Okay, why don't you lie down and get some rest?" Linda offered, seeing that he was a moment away from slumping over on his side, whether he got permission or not. Jamie nodded gratefully and with Linda's help, maneuvered himself into a position that didn't hurt his back.

"I'm going to see when Dr. Richards can see you, then I'll call Frank, okay?"

"Can't we just... keep him out of this?" Jamie asked a bit pleadingly, even though he already knew the answer to that.

"If not me, your Sergeant will call. I'll make sure he knows there's no reason to worry, I promise."

"Oh, okay. Thanks, Linda," Jamie mumbled, his face half hidden in the pillow and eyes already closed. Eddie was right... lying down was the best thing to happen to him in the last few hours and he would have to buy her all the coffee her heart desired... once he woke up from his nap.

 **The End**


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